Once you've taken the time to optimise your Quora profile, you can start searching for relevant topics and questions to answer. Before getting started, it's worth considering what your ultimate goals are.

Do you want to focus on traffic generation?Do you want to set yourself up as an authority in your sphere?Do you want to communicate value and set yourself up as a useful connection?

With your goals in mind, you'll be able to sift through topics and choose the ones that best fit your needs. It'll also help you to set the tone of your answers.

How to Find the Right Topics and Questions

There's no point in running rampant on Quora and answering every question that crosses your path. This isn't Hogwarts and you're not Hermione. Out here in the digital world, people appreciate topic experts who offer a true focus on their niche. Life isn't all that different from the schoolyard. No one likes a know-it-all but pretty much everyone appreciates honesty, transparency, and real expertise.

Here are a few steps to take when you're ready to tackle the platform.

1. Do Some Keyword Research

Keyword research is so important. Find primary and secondary keywords that might lead to questions in your target niche.

If you're a marketer who wants to share extensive knowledge on content marketing, your primary keyword will probably be "content marketing". Secondary keywords to look for might include "email marketing" or "marketing copy".

To do your research, it's best to use Google's Keyword Research Tool or Ubersuggest. These are the two most reliable ways to find new keywords and the accompanying search volume data. After you've decided on a primary keyword to target, the keyword research tool will help you find related keywords that might help you hone in on the right topics.

After you’ve determined a primary keyword to target, use the keyword research tool Answer The Public. This will help you find frequently asked questions related to your keyword that you’re likely to find on Quora.

2. Search For Topics Using Quora's Search Bar

Once you've managed to round up 2 to 3 primary keywords, using Quora's search bar to find relevant topics is easy enough. Just type in your keyword, and Quora will show you the most popular related topics.

You might find that the dropdown doesn't instantly display the topic you're looking for. If, for example, you've typed in "marketing" but the dropdown doesn't specifically show "content marketing", there's no need to panic. Just click on the first result which will take you to a search results page with additional filters.

To see additional topics pertaining to your keyword, navigate to the By Type filter in the menu on the left. Next, click on Topics. You'll find yourself on another search results page that displays a ton of additional topics related to your keyword.

3. Search for Questions Using Quora's Search Bar

If you want to bypass the topic search, it's possible to use Quora’s search bar to search for a specific question; or questions that are closely related.

Let's focus on the question, "What is content marketing?" All you would need to do is enter the question into the search bar and choose your preferred result from the drop-down options.

Much like topics, Quora doesn’t automatically display every question related to your search query. On the bright side, Quora displays related questions on the same page as the corresponding answers. So, if you were to answer a question on "What is content marketing?", you'll see additional questions worth answering on the right-hand side of your screen.

If you prefer, you can follow precisely the same procedure as outlined in the section on searching for relevant topics.

4. How to Identify Topics With the Best Potential

When searching for topics with the most potential, there are a few things to look out for. Managing Quora can be a time-consuming task, so you want to eliminate time wastage whenever possible.

Always make sure that the topic has a profile photo and filled-out About section. Some other green flags to look for include:

A recently added answer to show that the topic is active

A large number of questions

A decent number of followers

Several edits, which show that the topic is up-to-date

A dedicated FAQ page

A comprehensive list of the most-viewed writers

5. Use Google Search to Find Relevant Questions

It's also a good idea to use a simple Google search to find highly-trafficked questions. Simply enter your search query (be sure to include a relevant keyword) and browse the first page of Google search results. You'll find several popular questions here - and there's almost no effort involved.

Remember to use the keyword research tool Answer The Public. It'll help you generate a fairly long list of frequently searched questions that you might want to answer.

Finding topics and questions is half the battle won. Once you've nailed the perfect way to find what you're looking for, you'll be able to answer several questions a day. The more you answer, the better your profile will look. Always remember to stay within your niche and build up a reputation of reliability. It's better for you, it's better for your brand, and it makes you look pretty damn good.

We've saved the best for last with the third part of this series.

Want to know how to answer Quora questions cleverly? Stick around and we'll give you our best practices.